Threats, rumors, social media posts put local schools on alert

Thursday

Dec 20, 2012 at 2:06 PMDec 20, 2012 at 3:37 PM

Threats, rumors and potentially threatening social media posts put Houma high schools, Thibodaux High School and St. James High School on alert Thursday for unrelated reasons, but police said students are safe.

Matthew AlbrightStaff Writer

Threats, rumors and potentially threatening social media posts put Houma high schools, Thibodaux High School and St. James High School on alert Thursday for unrelated reasons, but police said students are safe.Kely Garcia, 31, of Denning Drive in Houma, made threats toward public officials and students at high schools around 1 p.m. Thursday, Houma Police said.Extra police were assigned to the schools as a precautionary measure, but no problems were reported.Police are still investigating the threats and searching for Garcia, who they said is driving a four-door 2006 BMW with Texas license plate CT2G966.Meanwhile, Thibodaux High increased security Thursday after rumors relating to a doomsday prediction were circulated, said Police Chief Scott Silverii. Metal detectors were in place, more police and detectives were summoned to the school and more teachers were assigned to watch students.Silverii said the rumors were about how some students planned to cause trouble because of the so-called Mayan Apocalypse doomsday scenario predicted for Friday."It's safe to send your kids to school," Silverii said. "We just want to have officers out there to give a sense of calm."Schools spokesman Floyd Benoit said Friday was still a mandatory class day — students who do not come to school will not be able to make up any missed work."Your child is safe. All of this is just a precaution," Benoit said.In St. James Parish, Sheriff Willy Martin said someone made a Twitter or Facebook post that caused "a little bit of a panic among some parents."Martin said his deputies interviewed a person they suspect may be responsible."Nothing has happened at the school, and we have no reason to believe anything will happen at the school," Martin said Thursday afternoon.Despite assurances from the school and sheriff, however, Martin said some parents still took their children out of class.The high school, at 5181 Wildcat St. in St. James, is along the Mississippi River near Vacherie, about 25 miles north of Thibodaux.The incidents came less than a week after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., left 20 small children and six school staff dead.Silverii said that's part of the reason police are taking precautionary measures so seriously."You take that coupled with this mythical date, and I think it just raised the apprehension level, the stress level," Silverii said. "So I think it's just being good stewards of the community to show that we're out here. We're being proactive and giving teachers this extra level of assurance."

Staff Writer Matthew Albright can be reached at 448-7635 or at matthew.albright@dailycomet.com.

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